Former Members of Deep Purple DUMP on Tommy Bolin

[Gordo]

I guess the boys would like to blame anyone but themselves? Jon Lord he was or felt like a hired hand or session musician on the CTTB album. Wonder why? Maybe he really didn't contribute his fair share. Oh , but he was impressed with Tommy Bolin when he jammed with him? Glen's statement about Bolin not able to write heavy metal tunes is asinine to say the least. And the pure drivel of Jon's we shouldn't have called it Deept Purple to David's inane statement or omission that he might have made a mistake in bringing Tommy Bolin in as lead guitarist for Deep Purple. WHAT ALOT OF CRAP. Tommy Bolin becomes an instant SCAPEGOAT for these ingrateful classless, unprofessional slobs. It's no wonder this bands isn't in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. They sure all know how to **** on someone?

In reality, in retrospect, Tommy Bolin delivered the goods. Wrote and produced CTTB, which to this day still stands as a solid Rock album, that,,,happens to have the name DEEP PURPLE writen on it the last time I checked. Boy oh boy ,,,talk about trying to rewrite history,, this piece takes the cake. Jon, Glen, David ,,,take a bow. What crap. Sure Tommy had the odd bad night playing live with this group, but he often had some great nights too. Despite Jon Lord being a "NO SHOW" by his own omission on the CTTB album ,,,Bolin still delivered the goods. By the above memembers accounts, if you believe everything you hear, they make Tommy Bolin the biggest SCAPEGOAT going. WHat crap!!!!

Gordo

[David]

GLENN was just saying that Blackmore and Bolin are two completely different and unique guitarists - night & day style wise! Besides, Bolin wouldn't want to be known as a "heavy metal" guitarist if he was still with us today! He was and like Hendrix, a unique talent - he himself had stated he shouldn't have joined Deep Purple - he took a risk with Purple, and to cover that risk, worked the deal so he could still do his own thing. Like GLENN, the money was too good to turn down, and certainly helped him from a business standpoint.

As for Coverdale's statement....well at least he admits his ignorance! But the way I read that passage is...Tommy was an amazing talent, but his real style was not Deep Purple's - I mean listen to anything he did before or his solo releases and it couldn't be further away from Purple (Stormbringer, Burn et al)! So in that way, it was a mistake.

CTTB has always been my favourite Purple album, and I'm a huge Tommy Bolin fan....but it just shows you, how we read the same thing in two completely different ways!

One final note...GLENN is the last person that would diss Tommy Bolin...over the years he has been a vocal promoter of Tommy's work, both with Purple and otherwise....so I think your criticism of GLENN is way out of line!

Peace

[top cat]

Gordo

Yeah, I know what you mean, but take it with a pinch of salt. I felt a bit like that (though perhaps not quite as angry!)

At the very least, lots of people have had lots of reservations for some time about the standard of journalism in CR. Comments WILL have been taken out of context.

If these are the guys' real feelings I guess they're entitled to them. I'm buggered if I can understand why they feel that way. OK, it will have been a pain for the guys working with Tommy when he was f***ed up & he will have played some dodgy shows (though unbiased opinions seem to increasingly suggest these were rarer than had previously been the impression).

It's not even like the album is critically slated these days. Far from it, the majority of interested people seem to actually like it.

So the fact that the Purps seem to have so suddenly come out 'dumping' on Tommy suggests that the article just may have been written to give that impression.

David, I'd like think that Glenn might say something about this, because even I almost felt like he was 'dissing' Tommy - though I'm well aware how unlikely that seems. As an aside, I'm always a bit disappointed that Glenn didn't stick to his on-stage pledges to always play 'This Time Around' (Bradford c94/95) and later 'I Don't Want to Live that Way Again' (London Addiction tour I think) for Tommy.

Surely in retrospect the bottom line is that the album's great & the shows I've heard range from pretty good to excellent. (Obviously ignoring 'Last Concert in Japan' - having heard the Live in Tokyo version I'll never know how someone managed to edit/mix/etc LCIJ so badly.)

Whatever, we'll never know the truth so just ignore it & listen to the music Gordo - WE know what we think of it!!!

 

[Mark Hoffman]

We know Tommy's style is nothing like Ritchies.
Deep Purple member's knew hiring Tommy would make a change. Sometimes change is good. So they conciously took a chance. CTtB is a pretty darn good album in my, and other's opinions. So in the studio, I would call it a moderate to good success. Tommy's style of jazz fusion (one of his real passions)is somewhat open ended as far as performing. (playing under the influence...ok?) Playing Deep Purple tunes was not. Tommy was adequate at playing these tunes in some cases. If they were/he was able to perform the CTtB album's songs he might have saved some face. I saw Tommy live once, as much as I love Tommy and his music....he performed extremely poorly. He was up against a lot- people booed him and called out for Ritchie. This had to weigh heavily. Tommy had a drug and alcohol problem...this weight may have took him over the edge - or certainly made it worse. Unfortunately, the entire band's professionalism went down the tubes- too late for scape goats. Why didn't they drop out mid tour if they saw what was happening? $$$$ Yes, the partying/drugs had an effect on the performances- maybe Jon and Ian didn't indulge so much- they should take their own responsibility for the bands demise. I think business wise, all 5 members had an equal share financially, and should be equally responsible for thier outcome/demise. Unfortunately, my opinion is that Deep Purple stepped away from the music somewhat- Deep Purple was a big money making machine...and was driven by the almighty dollar (more-so than the music). And those dollars are as responsible for any mistakes made - as any one member of Deep Purple. I think it is a shame that Tommy's contributions are overshadowed by his image on stage. After listening to his demos prior to joining Purple.... his contributions are very obvious. From what I gather, in the studio- Tommy worried more about the music than any of the other members. Let's remember him for this- not Purple's demise.

[Gordo]

That's part of my point. In retrospect, despite some obvious NO SHOWS in the studio -- Tommy Bolin delivered the goods in the studio for this group. The terms with this group was not of equal financial yoke, though.(This bothered Tommy) As for the tour, Tommy had his good nights and bad nights. (To reiterate, this was the 70's ,,,, try going to a Joe Walsh concert and you'd get the same thing). This group couldn't get outside the note-for note Blackmore Mantra loop. Fans and media alike going, WHY isn't he playing his guitar parts like Blackmore? Listen if you took Beck or Hendrix you'd certainly not get the Morse Borse or Blackmore Mantra. To this day, the group Deep Purple is still stuck in gear with play it like Blackmore. Jon Lord, David and Glen and the rest of the Purple heads STILL CAN't GET OUT of the Box thinking on the BLACKMORE influence. God bless Tommy, because he did it his way. (This is the real reason why everyone is turning in such drivel,,,, they couldn't understand Bolin's reluctance to stay away from the script. Go to a Deep Purple concert even today,,,, things are pretty stale with the currently lineup. WIth all sorts of goodies delivered in Karaoke Fashion. (Especially the MKII numbers.)

Glenn's comments are really out of place and I still stick to my guns. He's trying suck up for past comments in other interviews. Glenn it's too late! MK III isn't going to get back together? Remember the swapping comments? Stick to your guns, Glenn. Really.

By the time this tour got to England it was over? Why? David voice was on many a night below a professional standard; Glenn screaming over everything. Jon's obvious disinterest. It's in England that we see Tommy put in same spotty shows and a HARDCORE front row. I believe it's Karen's comments that say it all on this subject.
It's really obtuse to want someone to play exactly like someone else,,,, especially when you gone out of your way to say your looking for something different? All 3 DP members here are shooting themselves in the foot and at times trying to rewrite history. And of all people, Glenn, please don't compromise your character. Your friend Tommy delivered the goods in the studio. It's still a solid rock album

[Gordo]

THIS COMMENT SAYS IT ALL:

"From what I gather, in the studio- Tommy worried more about the music than any of the other members. Let's remember him for this- not Purple's demise. "

And truely this is were Tommy shined -- in the studio he was a master. Unfortuate, that not everyone was on the same page. Playing live, we had David and Glenn going at it just about every night, which made for a vocal cringe on the audio level. Clearly, I'm not at all exonerating Tommy Bolin of the blame for the demise of Deep Purple. But the other players all played their separate roles in this. The one memember above all this would be Ian Paice, otherwise the comments of all 3 in the interview speak miles. Ian delivered the goods and then some.

[Grace]

Where's the BEGINNING of the discussion, where everyone is discussing DP dumping on Tommy Bolin?
Jon Lord/Coverdale/GH statements? Is it here or on the wwwboard?

[Shirean]

it's on both sites, but there appears to be more of a thread here...so it's up to you which one you'd like to respond to

It starts at the top of this page.

[Grace]

Thanks for answering, but I meant....where is the article/interview that everyone is referring to?

On the DP website or what?

[David]

Hey Grace,

It's here in the Media Centre - look for the messages titled Deep Purple Mk III in Classic Rock - 1-10 by Ad.

In fact, if you go here, you can download a ZIP file with all 10 pages in their original full size - which can be used to print out an easier to read version - saves squinting at the screen

[Grace]

I just read the article "what started it all".

I've always thought that MK IV broke up because of "too much".
Unfortunately, they also had too much talent as individuals,
resulting in "too much ego"......

Thanks for telling me where to find the article.
Take care,
Grace

[Gordo]

Great stuff. Thx for posting the whole article. Also for posting Glenn's current tour in England. Sounds like he's performing better than ever. Whiter shade of Pale.Burn. Encore is pretty hot stuff. Keep Rocking, Glenn.

[JohnH]

Clearly live Bolin out and refused to play the Blackmore songs like the recordings... I mean there is room for improvisation on some of the MK2-3 stuff but the classical arpeggios (The Bach sections on the ending portions of solos on Highway Star and Burn cannot be changed or it sounds like crap. So egos and drugs/alcohol definitely played a role. Bolin was not a hard rocker but his contributions to Come Taste are outstanding. He shined in the studio. Can't see the point of having regrets for decisions that were made 27 years ago...What lasts is the CD Come Taste the Band... a brilliant piece of work...At this point it doesn't matter what happened live because that's all gone now. Hey Glenn also brought the band down with all the drug and alcohol abuse and whooping and screaming live but he made it worth it in the studio on the records.

JH

[top cat]

Good call John

TC

[Tommy Bolin]

In fairness Glenn has appeared a few times at the Tommy Bolin Fest in the U.S. & gone out of his way to promote Tommy's mucic as well as keeping in touch with the Bolin family which nowadays consists of Johnnie Bolin (Tommy's brother) Tommy's other brother Pudge & his parents passed on some years ago

[Tommy Bolin]

David Coverdale states that they wanted to call the band Purple or something else other than Deep Purple but were pressurised by management / Warner Brothers into using the Deep Purple name

[Tommy Bolin]

Jon Lord has at varyiung times given different responses to Tommy's involement in Deep Purple at times praising Tommy as a musician & at other times complaing about the CTTB l.p content

[mister.c.]

I dont think you can ever under-estimate what it must have been like for people like lord, paice and dc to travel around the world with two people for most of the time out of their face on the hard stuff. Though I wasnt around in 75/76 the ease at which the band ended, that TB and GH didnt actually know for months the band was over to me points at two separate camps and JL, IP and DC clearly hated it towards the end.

Bolin helped to pen a pretty good album but from the boots / albums I heard off the tour rarely turned up. 9 months after, well we know the story.

It think its fair enough that TB gets some stick but agree all dont come out of the period (Paice exempted) with massive amounts of credit.

[Gatman]

"Come Taste The Band" isn't regarded as a classic Purple album but I love it! and as for Jon Lord not playing much part in it... I have to say that his Hammond solo on "You Keep On Moving" is as cool as anything he ever played.... a great solo and a great album!

[Keith Thompson]

Glenn's support to the Tommy Bolin Foundation has been exemplary. If only the others could have been a bit more charitable?

Jon Lord certainly has a penchant for making himself out to be the calm Master of the Hunt where all around him was blood and chaos. Basically each had a part to play in the break up. No scapegoats.

I am not sure how any third party (you and I included) Gordo can say with ANY authority that Tommy wrote the whole of CTTB. You see this is where I have a great difficulty with Jon's response.

If in any walk of life, you are not happy with the way things are going then get off yer ass and write something!!! The guy would have us believe he became team captain when Blackmore left so where would be anybody's problem with a Lordy led composition? And yeah his contribution to You Keep on Moving and This Time Around showed what a class act we still had in Purple Mark 4. Glenn, Lord and Bolin had much in common musically: an awareness of jazz movements for example.

[scrub2112]

CTTB is a stand alone album with its own unique sound and style for deep purple. each guitarist along with steve morse each add something new and different to their line-ups sound.